Communication Breakdown
Communications from the world of, er, communications. And other stuff.
Friday 28 September 2007, 3:58 PM
The Wow ends now
Yesterday I took delivery of a NAS drive (geeky, yes, but surprisingly useful in the home and, at only 100 squids for half a terabyte, pretty cheap). Since I was busy mucking around with my backed up data anyway, I decided to take the opportunity to do something I've been planning for months...
Adios, Vista.
And hello again, XP. Yes, it's a schlep to install you. Yes, you have your quirks. But you're reliable and you don't always second-guess everything I say I want to do. You get on so well with my old friends (particularly my scanner) and you don't have a problem with my (occasional) gaming habit.
Sure, your younger sister is arguably prettier, but - don't tell her I said this - there's not that much going on upstairs with her. Frankly, she's got some growing up to do, and I was an idiot to leave you behind at all.
It was just the lure of the new, but I recognise my mistake now. Thank you for taking me back.
Adios, Vista.
And hello again, XP. Yes, it's a schlep to install you. Yes, you have your quirks. But you're reliable and you don't always second-guess everything I say I want to do. You get on so well with my old friends (particularly my scanner) and you don't have a problem with my (occasional) gaming habit.
Sure, your younger sister is arguably prettier, but - don't tell her I said this - there's not that much going on upstairs with her. Frankly, she's got some growing up to do, and I was an idiot to leave you behind at all.
It was just the lure of the new, but I recognise my mistake now. Thank you for taking me back.
Friday 28 September 2007, 1:25 PM
Euro aid for globalisation victims
Remember those poor souls who lost their jobs after BenQ pulled out of Europe last year? Well, the EU is riding to the rescue with something I'd certainly never heard of before: the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF - what happened to the A?).
About €13m will be winging its way to the 3,300 workers who were made redundant after the Taiwanese handset manufacturer cut and ran. €2m will also go to the 1,000 survivors of the defunct Finnish phone accessory maker Perlos.
According to the employment, social affairs and equal opportunities commissioner Vladimír Špidla: "I am happy to put these applications forward because they will help over 4,000 redundant workers back into employment. The EGF is being used as it was designed to - to respond to the impact of structural change on dynamic global markets."
Very admirable. Now, what about those workers hired and fired at dizzying speed when European companies go a-speculatin' in the developing world?
About €13m will be winging its way to the 3,300 workers who were made redundant after the Taiwanese handset manufacturer cut and ran. €2m will also go to the 1,000 survivors of the defunct Finnish phone accessory maker Perlos.
According to the employment, social affairs and equal opportunities commissioner Vladimír Špidla: "I am happy to put these applications forward because they will help over 4,000 redundant workers back into employment. The EGF is being used as it was designed to - to respond to the impact of structural change on dynamic global markets."
Very admirable. Now, what about those workers hired and fired at dizzying speed when European companies go a-speculatin' in the developing world?
Thursday 27 September 2007, 10:41 AM
Sun slams Apple over Java-less iPhone
Not that it's news in any sense of the word, but Sun's VP of software has issued a timely reminder of one of the biggest problems with the iPhone - its lack of (opensourced Sun tech) Java.
Two billion other phones have it, so why not Apple's fanboitoi? "Fundamentally, they don't like open systems," was Bob Brewin's take on the matter at AJAXWorld. At least the things do JavaScript and Java will eventually make it onto the Jesusphone, he said, but for now Apple is just rainin' on the developers' parade.
That's telling 'em. Sadly, with a million-plus-and-counting sales, I doubt that iSteve is overly moved...
Two billion other phones have it, so why not Apple's fanboitoi? "Fundamentally, they don't like open systems," was Bob Brewin's take on the matter at AJAXWorld. At least the things do JavaScript and Java will eventually make it onto the Jesusphone, he said, but for now Apple is just rainin' on the developers' parade.
That's telling 'em. Sadly, with a million-plus-and-counting sales, I doubt that iSteve is overly moved...
Wednesday 26 September 2007, 5:12 PM
HTC: We're Number Two!
According to Business Week Asia, HTC - makers of most of the Windows Mobile handsets out there - are now the second-best performing company on that continent (the best-performing company in Asia, if you really want to know, is Unilever Indonesia, but their phones suck so we'll ignore them for now).
Apparently 2 is a "good number" in Chinese culture (HTC are Taiwanese). I doubt many Anglophone companies would send out a press release boasting of being the "number two performing company", for a variety of reasons.
Some new HTC handsets will be unveiled on Monday, by the way, and we shall naturally be there, camera in hand...
Apparently 2 is a "good number" in Chinese culture (HTC are Taiwanese). I doubt many Anglophone companies would send out a press release boasting of being the "number two performing company", for a variety of reasons.
Some new HTC handsets will be unveiled on Monday, by the way, and we shall naturally be there, camera in hand...
Tuesday 25 September 2007, 10:54 AM
Microsoft: You already have naked PCs!
Microsoft has responded to our request for comment after a "free-market" EU thinktank, the Globalisation Institute, recommended that all PCs in Europe should be sold without a preinstalled operating system (see the story here and our leader commentary here).
"You can buy a PC with no OS, with Windows or with Linux, or indeed a Mac with the Mac OS so all such options are available and consumers make the choice already," said a spokesperson, before dropping in a comment that never fails to set off alarm bells for any hack: "I am not sure what the angle here is for you."
Move along! Nothing to see here! Keep your eyes on the road! A sure sign, if I've ever seen one, that Microsoft is very keen for this suggestion to never darken its door again. Of course, as our own investigations showed earlier this year, it is nigh on impossible to buy a new PC without shelling out the so-called "Windows tax".
That, I would posit, is our angle.
We also got a response from Commissioner Kroes' office, which stated that the EC is "aware of" the Institute's proposals, but has "no comment at this time on whether such an initiative would be required by the competition rules". Watch this space...
"You can buy a PC with no OS, with Windows or with Linux, or indeed a Mac with the Mac OS so all such options are available and consumers make the choice already," said a spokesperson, before dropping in a comment that never fails to set off alarm bells for any hack: "I am not sure what the angle here is for you."
Move along! Nothing to see here! Keep your eyes on the road! A sure sign, if I've ever seen one, that Microsoft is very keen for this suggestion to never darken its door again. Of course, as our own investigations showed earlier this year, it is nigh on impossible to buy a new PC without shelling out the so-called "Windows tax".
That, I would posit, is our angle.
We also got a response from Commissioner Kroes' office, which stated that the EC is "aware of" the Institute's proposals, but has "no comment at this time on whether such an initiative would be required by the competition rules". Watch this space...
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